Along the oases of the extreme south of Morocco, the ochre of the desert is gradually nibbling away at the scenery. In Tamegroute, however, green still occupies the centre stage, thanks to the local pottery, unique for its colour.

Once a passage, like the entire Draâ valley, on the great caravan routes, Tamegroute, a city of a few thousand souls, is the cradle of the Sufi brotherhood Zaouia Nassiria, founded in the 17th century by Mohamed Ben Nasser, who brought in a large number of scholars and artisans.

It has preserved from this rich period a famous library, some works of which date back to the 11th century, but also a typical green enamel pottery.

"It is this green colour that makes it famous compared to other pottery in Morocco. I can even say that it is the only one in the world, since many have tried to copy it but without success, and this is thanks to its secret," claims Hamid Aït Dani, an artisan.

Graduated in mineral chemistry, he notes that the manufacture of pottery "goes through four main stages: the preparation of the clay, the modelling, the painting and the firing".

But it is Abdelhak Bani, both an artisan and a tour guide, who takes charge of explaining the local characteristics to visitors.

"The interaction of copper, kohl (based on manganese) and 'dead stone' generates this green colour during firing, while cereal powder gives the shiny wavy appearance and the unlimited gradients," he says.

"Honourable profession"

"There is another element behind this colour that remains a secret," continues Mr. Aït Bani. "Artisans from here, with Japanese funding, tried to reproduce the same pottery in modern gas ovens. But the result was not satisfactory..."

Behind the walls that enclose the old Medina, from which the black smoke of the old ovens rises, there are a total of about ten of them watching over this "secret", descendants of six families settled in the region for four centuries.

"We inherited this honourable profession and we pass it on from father to son. We have lived off its income for centuries (...) and we are proud of that," proclaims one of these artisans, Abderrahmane Bassou.

"It represents our culture and helps local tourism," he adds, under the gaze of a group of Australian tourists who have left the beaten track leading to the first dunes of the Sahara for a few hours.

According to Abdel Halim Sbai, who organises stays in the south of Morocco, "pottery is the second activity of the inhabitants after agriculture".

"In periods of severe drought, crafts even become the only source of life for the population. (...) We must support these families who have kept and protected these traditions and this heritage," he notes.

At the heart of this artisanal manufacturing, each "ingredient" has also remained authentic, point out the artisans of Tamegroute.

The earth and water to prepare the mud come from the Draâ valley, and the wood for the traditional ovens from the remains of trunks and leaves of date palms. As for the transport of these different materials, it is still done by donkey.